This invention relates generally to radiation concentration methods and means, and more particularly provides an optical method for radiation amassment derived through intrinsic concentrated cyclical accretion of light by passing a parallel beam thereof to a compound double-faced conical optical prism cyclically via plural single faced 100% reflective right-triangular optical prisms in an arrangement defining an endless return path to and through said compound double-faced conical optical prism whereby to produce a controlled single intensified output beam of modified either or both of reduced width and/or length.
Concentration of reflected radiation energy, particularly light energy, has encountered many problems in with efficiency, complexity and expense in systems employed in the past.
Prior art believed pertinent to the state of the art relating to the field of the invention include:
Downs discloses an ellipsoidal reflector/concentrator for light energy in which light from a source enters an ellipsoidal housing in which the ellipse is rotated about a line passed perpendicularly through the ellipse major axis at the second focus (2) with the first focus (1), now a distributed focus (1), in the form of a circle while the other focus (2) remains a point focus with the laws of elliptical reflection remaining in effect. This was said to work well with ultrasonic and explosive energy that may be placed along a distributed focus (1). Such energy, leaving generally perpendicular to the second focus (2), will strike the surface of the ellipsoid in the proper attitude to be reflected to the second focus (2).
However, each point along the generator of such energy radiates its energy in all directions so as to introduce a large axial error for much of its energy when trying to use a filament or gas-discharge tube, for a source of light. Even if it were possible to concentrate all of the light energy from such a source of light, the temperature of an image of incoherent light is a laser, the temperature may reach high enough to bring about atomic fusion, according to Downs.
An ellipsoidal reflection system may be provided with the ellipsoidal reflector by passing the axis of rotation through one focus but missing the other with a distributed focus at one end and a point focus at the other end. Such an ellipsoidal reflective system will be conical as it approached the second focus. With multiple reflectors within an ellipse, a phenomenon results when a ray of energy passes through a focus, it will reflect from the inner surface of the ellipse and pass through the other focus. The internal reflective process will, theoretically, go on after each reflection, the ray path will be more nearly aligned with the major axis. A problem with multiple ellipsoidal reflection systems is that a source of energy located at one focus will be in the path of energy after the second reflection. If multiple ellipsoidal reflections are to be utilized, there must not be substance at either focus. The solution offered to this problem was to position the energy source to the side from the ellipsoidal axis running through both focus points with energy from the energy source injected to converge at one focus so that with no physical obstructions at this focus nor at the other focus multiple reflections may occur. According to Downs, many methods of energy ray concentration are feasible with the only requirement being that energy must converge on one focus.
Downs provided an ellipsoidal system wherein an energy source generates energy radiation focussed through a lens to an ellipsoidal point focus (focus 1) it is thereby confocal with the main ellipsoidal point focus (focus 1). Per Downs, the main ellipsoid was comprised of two ellipsoid reflective sections adjacent two point focus (focus 2) with both curved to match a portion of the common ellipsoid. Both sections are curved to match portions of a common ellipsoid. The internally reflected ellipsoid section is shown to encompass an end of the shape of the ellipsoid and has a small opening to permit passage of a narrow beam of energy outward from the ellipsoidal system, and also, opposite end reflective section that reflects energy beams back through point focus (focus 1) to pass through the small end opening. A cut out was provided in the ellipsoid reflective section to permit passage of focussed energy beams passed through the lens to pass to and through the point focus 1.
One way reflector systems that reflect on the inside and pass radiated energy on through from the outside to the inside could be used in place of the aforementioned cutouts, and with it then possible to have energy directing devices directly opposite of each other rather than having to be spaced. Thus it would be possible to use an annular rotated secondary ellipsoidal reflector projecting radiated energy into a primary reflector through an entire 360 degree circle via a band of one way reflector material as a part of the primary reflector.
Downs asserts that it is not practical to make too many passes since energy is not passing through a system focus the first time has a tendency to go further afield with each pass. Further, if a ray of energy misses a focus on the first pass, it can never cross either focus no matter how many passes it makes.
Downs also suggests placing reflectors at the end exit reflector of the reflective system, so that energy rays reflected toward the point focus (2) are intercepted in front of the point focus (2) by a hyperboloid reflector and reflected back generally along the system primary axis with much of this reflected energy radiation passing out through the small exit opening in the form of a relatively narrow radiated energy beam. This beam as an output is neither coherent nor monochromatic.
Downs does disclose a reflector/concentrator for light energy where light is repeatedly reflected within an elliptical housing through a narrow opening. However, the reflective arrangement within the ellipsoidal reflector system is complex and depends upon the energy reaching specific focus points.
Sauer provides an optical system comprising a pair of prisms disposed removably or at lease variably spaced in front of a lens. The prisms have angular reflecting surfaces adapted to direct rays of light off the angular surfaces as the rays pass through the prism so as to converge directed to a point on the optical axis of a lens and a plane imagined at the point of intersection of these axes and standing at right angle to the optical axis of the lens in a plane of convergence. The purpose is to provide two pictures in proper stereoscopic relation to each other so that when viewed through suitable optical aids, will fuse into a single picture desired by a stereo optical device. Attention should be given to the angle of incidence of the rays of light upon the reflecting surfaces being angles other than 45 degrees so that the rays diverge to reach the lens.
Pullin provides a radiation focussing device using an annular ring and a central focussing body, the ring having an inwardly facing reflecting surface, the reflecting surface being a part of a surface of a cone with a half-angle of 45 degrees. The circularly focussing body has a peripheral reflecting surface whereupon radiation traveling in radial directions with respect to its axial symmetry (which is the cone axis of the reflecting surface) is directed to a focus and is surrounded by the ring and coaxial with said focus. The shape and effect of the said peripheral is derived from a parabola. The function of the ring is to convert parallel rays into radial rays which impinge upon the peripheral reflecting surface of the focussing body. The ring and the said peripheral surface function as an objective. It appears that the primary usage of the Pullin device is as an optical astronomical telescope for receiving radiant energy.
Julin discloses light dispersing annular prisms which are utilized as plural concentrically arranged groupings for therapeutic application to a human being and allows the light rays to pass through and disperses them into the several kinds of spectral rays suitable for varied therapeutic use. Selected rays are directed to a focus by a selected lens placed in their directed path.
Chenausky et al provide a resonator particularly useful in chemical laser applications, said resonator comprising a ring end mirror, a conical folding mirror and a circular end mirror combined to form an unstable resonator including a radial direction propagation having a gain medium region and a region of axial direction propagation. Chenausky et al provides an output beam which is said to be circular in diameter and has a diameter which is essentially equal to twice the extraction length characteristic of the working medium. The energy extracted by the radial propagating portion of the mode has an approximately uniform distribution in the output beam as a result of the reflective surface area of the conical folding mirror and the spatial variation of the gain of the flow direction of the working medium, the light intensity in the gain region decreases with an increase in the perpendicular distance from the plane at which the gain medium originates.
The maximum power handling capability of the unstable toroidal resonator provided by Chenausky et al is limited for all practical purposes by the power handling capabilities of the circular end mirror. The toroidal mirror has the largest surface area of any of the reflective surfaces and the power handling capability of which is said not to be a limiting factor since the large area experiences the lowest flux density of any of the reflective surfaces exposed to the laser radiation; however, the circular mirror has the incidence flux of highest density and this parameter controls the maximum power from the unstable resonator. The folding mirror experiences a flux density which is higher than that on the circular end mirror and lower than that on the circular end mirror. Problems can arise due to excessive heating in the vicinity of the apex of the folding mirror so that the apex preferably is rounded to avoid a sharp point.
Chenausky et al further discloses that in transferring rays between the radial and axial regions, the conical folding mirror made the radial profile symetrical with respect to both intensity and phase, and optically compensated for spatial gain variation in the flow direction. These functions are accomplished because the higher intensity portions of the radial propagating beam which occur on the upstream side of the beam are distributed along the base of the folding mirror cone, the base of said cone being coplanar with the base of the toroidal end mirror. The lower intensity portions of the radial propagating beam which occur on the downstream ride are distributed along the base of the conical folding mirror where the reflective surface is a minimum. As a result, the intensity profile of the beam is made more uniform in the axial region and in the near field.
The cross-sectional curvature of the toroidal end mirror is circular and has a geometrical axis of symmetry which must be made coincident with the downstream side of the resonant mode in the non-axial region of the resonator (the line passing from the upper portion of the concave reflective surface across the apex of the conical folding mirror). The circular contour collimates the beam from the circular end (toroidal) mirror which is divergent. Alternatively, Chenausky et al proposes that the toroidal mirror contour can be convex and combined with a circular end mirror which is concave or both the toroidal and circular end mirrors made with concave or even non-spherical reflective surfaces such as an off-axis paraboloid.
Dorschner provides an example of an optical storage ring where mirrors are used to produce a non-planar equilateral (skew rhombus) ring path, the mirrors being mounted on a supporting cube having passages cut in the path of a beam of light energy propagating therebetween. The mirrors are positioned on the surface of the cube and produce a non-planar equilateral ring path having path segments in two planes. Mirrors are positioned on the corners of the cube to define the vertices of a tetrahedron circumscribed by the cube. The sensitive axis of such arrangement is along one of the mutually orthogonal principal axes of the cube. The tetrahedral ring is equiangular as well as equilateral; thus all the incidence angles on the mirrors are the same. An orthohedral ring is provided with two mirrors placed on a first of adjacent comers of the cube and two mirrors are placed between the corners of two adjacent corner pairs to provide a path substantially on two of the faces of the cube. Mirrors provide the reflective surfaces of the embodiments disclosed by Dorschner.
McKeown discloses a pyramidal beam splitter for splitting a beam light into several beams at right angles to a reference beam, the beam parallel to the pyramid axis impinging on the apex of the pyramid at right angles to the reference beam, the beam being a laser beam.
The art has long sought means for capturing, concentrating and storing a charge from the input of any parallel radiation source, for example, a light energy source, the charge capable of being discharged in either a rapid or metered manner. Such means would have considerable value in high powered laser usage. Further, metered discharge would be beneficial in industrial applications, medical applications and communications.
Additionally, it would be beneficial to provide an optical system whereby a parallel radiation energy, e.g., light energy, can be rapidly increased in intensity, which can effect rapid amassment of radiation energy by minimum short duration passes through the system with storage of the amassed energy for such selective discharge.
The invention contemplates the use of at least one compound double-faced conical optical prism for receiving a parallel beam consisting of parallel rays of light energy directed from a light energy source to the reflective inner face of the compound double-faced conical optical glass prism, where the light is reflected to the reflective surface to the conical face of an inner centrally concentrically arranged coaxially located conical prism of the compound double-faced conical optical prism where it can be retained and selectively discharged as an multiplied amassed and concentrated intensified beam to a quadrivial prism by which it is split into individual beams and directed to a serial group of 100% reflective single-faced optical prisms disposed in their paths whereby to introduce said split beams back to the compound double-faced conical optical prism in a multiple recycling path repeatably through said compound double-faced conical optical prism, each recycled pass causing the beam to wrap around itself increasing the intensity of said input beam geometrically, said intensified beam capable of being retained within said conical double-faced conical prism, said retained intensified light beam being discharged rapidly by a 100% right-angle isosceles optical discharge prism intercepting the exit path of said intensified light beam.
Additionally, the compound double-faced conical optical prism can be formed as a single unitary optical prism. Alternatively, the system according to the invention can comprise an arrangement of a dual compound double-faced conical optical prism array including a pair of offset, partially superposed pair of compound double-faced conical optical prisms arranged one partially over the other with their axes offset one relative the other.
The invention also contemplates the combination of the conical double-faced prisms into a single body optical prism formed of optical glass and including all the necessary reflective surfaces of the right-angle isosceles prisms as a part thereof.
It is important that the incident light beam be parallel, that is, perpendicular to the entry face of the compound double-faced conical optical prisms. The output intensified emergent beam must exit in a path parallel to the incident beam and is further intensified with each pass through said compound double-faced conical prisms.
The invention provides an optical system for radiation amassment derived through intensification by cyclical accretion of energy radiation by passing a ninety degree parallel incident light energy beam perpendicular to a compound double-faced conical optical glass prism repetitively cyclically via plural single-faced 100% reflective right-angle isosceles optical prisms arranged in an endless recycled return path to and through said compound double-faced conical optical prism and plural single-faced 100% reflective right-angle isosceles optical prisms. The energy is amassed and concentrated during the continuous passage of the recycled light beam through the optical system and retained within said compound double-faced conical optical prism upon each pass through said system. A right-angle single-faced reflective isosceles optical glass prism can be inserted into the output (the emergent) intensified energy beam upon its exit from the compound double-faced conical optical energy beam to discharge the amassed energy rapidly to a selected receiving means offset from the optical system. The discharge prism can be inserted between any of the prismatic faces except for the conical prism where the energy beam is not parallel.